(New York City) Sanitation Dept. Wants Styrofoam Use To-Go

Source: NY1

Styrofoam containers could soon be scrapped from all restaurants in the city if the Department of Sanitation has its way.

The department's recycling expert, Ron Gonen, said the city is discussing the possibility of banning use of polystyrene foam, commonly known as Styrofoam, as it considers ways to double the city's recycling rate.

The Department of Sanitation has said that recycling Styrofoam is too expensive, and environmentalists have long complained that Styrofoam takes years to break down in landfills.

"We are looking at a lot of things," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "One of the things you may want to do, and a lot of other places have, is ban things like Styrofoam that don't, whatever the term is, degrade quickly in landfills."

5. That's bullshit. Styrofoam is extremely toxic in the environment.

It gets in the water (streams, lakes, rivers) and fish and turtles eat it, and they die a horrible death. I've seen it.

Some people are STILL putting styrofoam in microwave ovens to re-heat their left-overs (doggie bags), because the restaurants send them home with leftovers in styrofoam containers, and the public takes for granted that it's safe....they hear how LIBERAL everything is and how much money the government spends on REGULATIONS, so the public thinks nothing done by the corporations is dangerous because the government is the "nanny state". Corporate America doesn't put it all over the news just how toxic that shit is, and how the chemicals leach into the food, ESPECIALLY when placed in a microwave oven. The styrofoam industry is WEALTHY to the point that their lobbyists don't allow the truth of the mess to come out.

Our citizens are being killed daily by corporate America, and nothing is being done. Women are losing their babies. Cancer is rampant. And the republicans have the masses convinced that the environment and chemicals are NOT to blame. Anymore than assault rifles are to blame for all the mass killings.

Although economies of scale would imply that New York City could have a very extensive recycling program, it fails to recycle styrofoam, most types of plastics and compostable food scraps, to name just a few.

12. recycling styrofoam

The nearest recycler I've been able to find is over 50 miles away, but they won't take food containers. Even the places that take packing materials often won't accept stuff from private individuals.

I read estimates that styrofoam is taking up 25-30% of our landfill space and a styrofoam cup takes 500 years to degrade. When burned, styrofoam releases hazardous chemicals. I don't think the product has any redeeming qualities other than being incredibly cheap to produce.

11. Nelson Muntz ?

9. Get rid of it. There are plenty of substitutes. Good move.

I live in an area that is extreme on the recycling, conservation, alternative energy, etc. You have to personally transport styrofoam to one place in the entire state to get it recycled.

Everything else from batteries, plastic, glass, metals, well, everything is recycled. The city got rid of styrofoam in restaurants and they simply put the food in compostable cardboard. And we're phasing out plastic bags at the grocery stores, although we can recycle them too. They still cause problems.

The emphasis is on bring your own bag or container or take what you need from a store without a bag, and eliminating paper. No reason to keep styrofoam.